Apparatus for classifying flanged pipes

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for classifying flanged pipes which can classify various pipes in length. To this end, the flanged pipe is received and conveyed by a tray and discharged from the tray at a desired position. More particularly, the tray carrying the pipe is lifted by chains and tilted in lifting to discharge the pipe at a predetermined stage.

United States Patent Maeda et al.

[451 Apr. 23, 1974 APPARATUS FOR CLASSIFYING FLANGED PIPES Inventors:Kazuo Maeda; Muneto Takizawa,

both of Chibashi; Yuzi Saito, Yokosukashi, all of Japan Assignee: MitsuiShipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan Filed: May 31, 1973Appl. No.: 365,706

Foreign Application Priority Data June 5, 1972 Japan 47-56285 U.S. Cl198/83, 209/74, 214/] PB Int. Cl B4lj 19/04 Field of Search 214/1 PB;198/38, 83;

[5 6] 7 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,616,941 11/1971 Walung214/1 PB Primary ExaminerAllen N. Knowles Assistant Examinerer1e A.Church M g I Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howson and Howson; Henry H.Skillman [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for classifying flanged pipes whichcan classify various pipes in length. To this end, the flanged pipe isreceived and conveyed by a tray and discharged from the tray at adesired position. More particularly, the tray carrying the pipe islifted by chains and tilted in lifting to discharge the pipe at apredetermined stage.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR CLASSIFYING FLANGED PIPES Thepresent invention relates to an apparatus for classifying flanged pipesand conveying to the next working stage.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which canclassify and convey various pipes in length with simplifiedconstruction.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line IIIIII of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 designates an elongated tray forreceiving a flanged pipe 2 having a plurality of vertical supportingplates 3 arranged with a spacing on which the pipe 2a is supported andthe flanges 2b are located between the supporting plates. The tray 1 hasa plurality of rolls 4 by which the tray can move on the inclined plates8 of V-shaped passage 7 of the guide construction 6. In the bottom ofthe passage 7, a chain conveyor 9 is provided of which endless chain 9ahas an attachment 10 engaged with a recess 11 of the bottom of thetray 1. The chain conveyor 9 is driven by not shown motor connected tothe chain sprocket wheel 9b. A guide rail 12 is provided in the guideconstruction 6 and a guide rail 12' is provided in the recess 5' of thefloor 5, thus the endless chain 91: moves on the rails 12 and 12'without loosening. Adjacent to the guide construction 6, four unitsrails 13a, 13b and 13c are provided on which the tray can be moved byrolls 4. In each gap between units of rails, tray holders 14 areprovided, each of which has a receiving portion 15 and pivoted to thebracket 16 by the shaft 17. On opposite ends of the sliding portion 16aof the bracket 16, rollers 18 are provided, thereby the sliding portion16a may be slided along the guide rails 20 of stands 19. At oppositeends of each stand 19 provided are chain sprocket wheels 21 and 22 ofwhich lower chain sprocket wheel 22 is coupled to the rotary shaft 23and chain sprocket wheels 21 and 22 of stands 19 of opposite ends areconnected by chain 24 respectively. Each sliding portion 16a isconnected to the chain 24 and a balance weight 25 is also attached tothe chain.

As shown in FIG. 4, an oil hydraulic cylinder 27 is provided in theframe 26 of which piston rod 28 has a bracket 29 provided with a chainsprocket wheel 30. The chain 31 connected to the frame 26 at one endthereof is engaged with the chain sprocket wheels 22 and 21 of thecentral stand 19 and connected to the sliding portion 16a. Therefor,when the piston rod 28 is moved, all brackets 16 and the tray holders 14are vertically moved along the guide rails 20. Lower and upper stages 32and 33 are provided along the pass of the tray holder 14, on each stagethe chain conveyor 34 comprising a pallets 34b is provided fordischarging pipe according to the size of the pipe and cylinders 35 areprovided to project the piston rod 36. Each piston rod 36 has a stopper37 and adapted to project it into the pass of the tray holder 14 toengage with the projection 14a of each tray holder.

In operation, the pipe 1 flanged in the flange welding machine anddischarged therefrom is received by the tray 1 and the tray 1 is movedto the right along rails 13a, 13b and 13c by the chain conveyor 9. Whenthe tray 1 reaches to the right end of rails, the attachment 10 isturned arround the chain sprocket wheel 9c thereby separated from thetray 1, so that the tray is stayed on the rails 13a, 13b and 13c.Thereafter the cylinder 27 is operated to push out the piston rod 28, sothat the chain 31 is moved to rotate the central chain sprocket wheel22, thereby both side chain sprocket wheels 22 are rotate to drivechains 24. Thus tray holders 14 are raised holding the tray 1 togetherwith the pipe 2.

According to the size of the discharged pipe, the upper or lower stopper37 is previously projected. Therefore, in raising of the holders l4,projections 14a engage with the projected stopper, so that the holders14 are rotated about the shaft 17 in the counter clockwise direction asshown in FIG. 4. Thus the tray is inclined to discharge the pipe to thechain conveyor 34 on the desired stage 33 and the pipe is conveyed tothe next working stage by the conveyor. Thereafter, the cylinder 27 isreversely operated to retract the piston rod 28, so that the brackets 16and holders 14 are lowered by own weight and the holder rotated toreturn to the initial position. The brackets 16 are stopped by thestopper 38, at the same time stoping the operation of the cylinder. Onthe other hand, the cylinders 35 are operated to retract the piston rods36 and the stoppers 37. When the brackets 16 are stopped at the lowerstroke end, the recess 11 of the tray 1 is engaged with the attachmentof the chain conveyor 9. Subsequently, the chain conveyor 9 is reverselydrived to return the tray 1 to the initial position.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that this invention providesan apparatus which can easily transmit and classify various pipes inlength, since pipes are received and conveyed by a tray.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for classifying flanged pipes comprising an elongatedtray having a plurality of vertical supporting plates arranged with aspacing, a guiding means for said tray having a'V-shaped passage, achain conveyor provided along said passage for conveying said tray, anattachment provided in said chain conveyor for engaging with said tray,rails connected terminal end of said guiding means arranged with aspacing for guiding said tray, stands provided near said rails, bracketsprovided to slide along said stands and adapted to locate between saidrails, tray holders pivotaly mounted on said bracket for holding saidtray, means for sliding said bracket along said stands, stages providedalong the pass of said tray holders for discharging the pipe on thetray, conveyor provided on each stage, means for engaging said trayholder provided on each stage for inclining said tray holders todischarge the pipe on the tray.

1. An apparatus for classifying flanged pipes comprising an elongatedtray having a plurality of vertical supporting plates arranged with aspacing, a guiding means for said tray having a V-shaped passage, achain conveyor provided along said passage for conveying said tray, anattachment provided in said chain conveyor for engaging with said tray,rails connected terminal end of said guiding means arranged with aspacing for guiding said tray, stands provided near said rails, bracketsprovided to slide along said stands and adapted to locate between saidrails, tray holders pivotaly mounted on said bracket for holding saidtray, means for sliding said bracket along said stands, stages providedalong the pass of said tray holders for discharging the pipe on thetray, conveyor provided on each stage, means for engaging said trayholder provided on each stage for inclining said tray holders todischarge the pipe on the tray.